


What Makes a Hero?

by Ctenophore



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate universe- secret identity, Anxiety, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Iron Man 2, POV Tony Stark, Secret Identity, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-14 18:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11788503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ctenophore/pseuds/Ctenophore
Summary: What if Tony Stark had made a different choice? What if he didn't tell the world that he was Iron Man?Basically, what would have happened if Tony Stark kept his identity as Iron Man a secret- even from his own team?Starts with the Iron Man movies, will eventually include Avengers. Main part of story will take place post-Avengers.





	1. I am (not?) Iron Man

**Author's Note:**

> A short prologue to a much longer story. I've been playing with this secret identity trope for a while and decided to finally write it out. I'll mostly gloss over the Iron Man movies, cause I want to get to the juicy Avengers part, but I think that setting up the stage will be pretty important, so that this Tony doesn't seem too OOC. I might play up his anxiety, because I think that would play a huge role in his deciding to keep his identity a secret. 
> 
> I know that I'm a bit late to the party, but I'm just gonna put this out there, and see what the reception is like. It's an idea that I'm pretty excited about, but depending on the amount of interest I could make it a huge long series, or I could make it a bit shorter.
> 
> Enjoy!

_Prologue_

Tony Stark was Iron Man. 

Pepper knew that.  
Rhodey and Happy knew it.  
Agent ‘Phil’ Coulson and Fury knew it. 

But that was it. The rest of the world was completely ignorant of who was inside the suit, who saved Tony Stark from the terrorists. Who blew up all of those weapons that could have hurt even more people. 

They didn't know that Tony saved himself. (But he couldn’t save Yinsen) (But he couldn’t tell anyone about it.)  
Coulson wanted him to say that Iron Man was his bodyguard. (As if he’d trust anyone else with his life).  
But then, Tony was used to giving in to his ego. He could be a hero. A real live superhero (No more waiting for Captain America to save him- Tony could save himself).  
So, when the hot reporter questioned him, could they really believe that his bodyguard conveniently found him and saved him in time (No, they couldn’t) he wanted to tell them the truth. (If you’re insinuating that I’m a superhero, that’s an outlandish claim, he had said. That didn’t mean it wasn’t true). (I’m not saying you’re a superhero, she replied).  
It’d be hard to believe, Tony Stark, superhero. (I’m not the hero type.) And wasn’t that true. Tony Stark was a genius. A billionaire. A playboy. A philanthropist. Tony Stark had taken care to perfectly sculpt his public identity, and being a hero just didn’t fit into that. Tony Stark couldn’t be a hero.

But then, maybe Iron Man could?

Tony Stark stood in front of the crowd. He held his flashcards tight. He looked up, at the flashing camera lights and into the face of a crowd who didn’t think him capable of being a hero. And he threw his SHIELD-written crap flashcards on the ground. He wouldn’t need them.

He looked straight into the face of the reporter who questioned him. Tony gestured with wide hands. “What is a hero? I think, if we’re gonna talk about who’s a hero, and who’s not, we should define it first.” He looked out into the crowd, and caught Pepper’s eye. She looked wary, as if she wasn’t sure where he was going with this. To be perfectly honest, Tony didn’t know that either.

He continued, “Now a superhero, that’s easy. I think all of us can agree that a superhero, is a person who uses their powers to save the world. Someone like Captain America, who used his enhanced powers to stop wars, or, someone like Iron Man, who uses his tech to take out the bad guys. Essentially, superheroes save civilians from the bad guys. Makes sense, right?” Tony paused for a second, for dramatic effect.  
“A hero though, now that’s a whole other ballpark. A hero can be anyone. Not me. Like I said, I’m not hero material. But there are people out there, maybe even some in this room,” Tony intentionally catches Pepper’s eye as he continues warmly, “who make the world a better place just by being in it. People like doctors, who literally save lives. Teachers, who teach and inspire kids to do great things. Firefighters, who risk their lives in order to save others. Ultimately, being a hero is working hard to make the world a better place.”  
Tony takes a second to let this statement sink in. “Now, not everyone can be a superhero. I’m sorry, but that’s just a fact. However, _anyone_ can be a hero. Me, I’m no superhero. My bodyguard, Iron Man, is the real superhero. I’m not even a hero, not really. I’m just a man, trying to make his way through this crazy world. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t try. In fact, everyday, I try hard to change this world into a better place. To make this world a place that superheroes would want to save.”

Tony Stark looks out into the audience. The reporters are silent for once, not asking any questions. They’re not sure how to respond, they were only here to gather more details on the identity behind Iron Man. Too bad. “Thank you,” Tony says, in his booming media voice, “That will be all,” And he promptly walks off stage. 

Tony walks all the way down the aisle, straight past Pepper Potts where she stands in the back with Agent Coulson. The two hurry to catch up with him. Coulson reaches him first, and falls into pace with him. "That was actually pretty good. I might actually let you write your own speeches from now on."

Pepper, with her long legs and high heels, falls into pace on Tony's other side. "Don't encourage him," she warns Coulson, a teasing smile on her face. "He'll never read from your flashcards again." Coulson just smiles politely in return. Pepper says to Tony, "Honestly though, you did good. I was pretty sure you were going to tell that whole room of reporters that you were Iron Man."

Tony doesn't tell her that he was about to do just that. Instead he puffs up and teases, "Ye of little faith." It's all he can say, but it doesn't feel like enough. It doesn't give a reason. Pepper is smart, she knows that Tony would celebrate the attention that being a hero would give, and that even a super secret agent couldn't stop him from doing what he wanted. So Tony must have wanted to keep his identity a secret. Tony knows that Pepper knows that there's a deeper reason why. She gives him a look, and he forces a grin at her.

By now they've reached the limo. Happy is out of the car and opening the back door for him. Happy asks, "Ready to go Boss?"

Tony doesn't answer, just slids into the limo, and Pepper slids in after him. Tony allows himself the satisfaction of watching through the window as Happy slams the door in Agent Coulson's face. Happy walks around the car and into the driver's seat. He starts to pull away from the curb before asking. "Hey Boss, where to?"

Tony looks out the window without taking in any of the view. "Home," he says. "We're going home."


	2. Dying to save you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter goes over everything in Iron Man 2. It includes some differences that come from the secret identity. I've also added a few scenes for fun and for characterization reasons.
> 
> I did use the IM2 script for reference, so anything you recognize is not mine.

"Life's too short to even care at all, oh  
I'm losing my mind losing my mind losing control"  
-Cough Syrup by Young the Giant

Chapter 1

Tony Stark is used to the spotlight. He can handle the flashing lights, he can hold himself up, put on a show for the reporters. Sometimes, it feels like he spends most of his time acting like someone he's not. 

Nonetheless, hiding the fact that he is actually a superhero is a bit harder than he thought. 

It begins with his identity as a playboy. One day at his EXPO, the Stark EXPO, Tony met a girl who was reasonably intelligent and drop-dead gorgeous. He was ready to find Happy and leave early with her.

“So, are you from around here?” He asked the girl, feigning interest in the topic. What really interested him was her fingers, trailing up his arm. He could only imagine what that would feel like in a few hours, when his clean-cut suit and tie was crumpled on the floor. 

She giggled, and replied. “You bet. New York baby, born and raised.” She was a city girl, Tony could sing. But then, her hand moved over to his chest, her fingers sneaking behind his jacket. 

Tony never forgot that he had an arc reactor in his chest. It was one of those thoughts that always lingered in the back of your mind. But until now, he hadn’t fully realized the implication. 

Her fingers splayed over his heart, and were met by hard metal. She took a second, then lifted her head up to meet his eyes, questioning. He met her gaze evenly, even as his heart beat a little quicker with nervous energy. “Flask,” he explained (lied). “In case of emergencies. Excuse me.” He pulled her hand off his chest and walked away evenly. He ignored her indignant calls asking him to wait, to come back over.

He cursed himself. In his head, Tony knew that he should have stayed longer, to keep away suspicion. But he couldn’t, not when he realized what it meant. 

He would never be able to take off his shirt again. Not in front of anyone who didn’t know he was Iron Man. The arc reactor in his chest was what powered his Iron Man suit, it was too similar in design and placement to be dismissed as coincidence. 

He couldn’t bring strange women home anymore. He couldn’t wear a bathing suit in public. He didn’t go swimming often, but knowing that he wouldn’t be able to ever again felt… restricting.

Tony Stark wasn’t used to being restricted. When he was young, he was overshadowed by his father and his accomplishments. So, Tony worked hard to be a young prodigy. And then, after Howard had died, instead of honoring his memory, Tony built up Howard’s company to heights Howard wouldn't have even imagined. So when people heard the name Stark, they thought Tony. He carved his identity, and was able to carve out exactly what he wanted. Being a genius and a billionaire meant that if he couldn’t buy what he wanted, he could make it. And so, it was fair to say that Tony Stark wasn’t used to limits.

But now? Tony Stark was no longer a playboy. That part of his identity was stripped from him. And yeah, maybe that wasn’t the worst thing in the world. He had Pepper, did he really need anyone else? Except, the media had definitely noticed. 

Pepper and Jarvis conspired to keep it from him for a while. But Tony wasn’t an idiot. Quite the opposite in fact. 

He was walking down the street to a nearby Starbucks when he passed by a local news stand. Seeing his face plastered against multiple magazines gave him pause. He had no recollection of any recent interviews he gave. Maybe Pep sent something in? 

He picked up the nearest one to see the headline: _Tony Stark: Giving up on Women?_ With a heavy sigh, Tony put the magazine back in place. He wasn’t sure whether the article would be calling him a monk or gay, and he really didn’t need to know.

Tony ordered a Venti Americano that day, knowing he’d need the espresso. 

\--------------------------------  
Then, there was also the problem of copycats. Tony expected it, of course he did. But he also knew that the technology he created was years beyond what anyone else could even think up. 

That didn't stop the subpeona from D.C. Tony was called down as the 'representative' for Iron Man, which he was sure pissed some people off. They tried to say that the suit was a weapon. (How can we trust someone who won't even tell us who he is? They ask) (You wouldn't trust him even if you knew, he wanted to say. He says instead, That's awfully sexist. Who's to say it's not a woman piloting the suit?)

But then Rhodey goes up and testifies _against_ him. Outside, Tony brushes it off, because he has to. But inside, he wonders. What does Rhodey really think about Iron Man? About him? Does he really think that Tony would endanger the public, purposely or not?

Rhodey brings up the idea of people copying the suit, bad people. Tony knows that would be ridiculous, no one else would be able to figure out his arc reactor technology that quickly. So he shows them. He hijacks the TV, to show them that any attempts were not even close. (Throwing in the video of Justin Hammer attempting one such suit was just a bonus. A really sweet bonus.

"Now, I'm just the mechanic, but I'd say that America is now secure." He stood up to face the crowd behind him. "Iron Man has successfully privatized world peace!" 

Tony focuses on the crowd, trying to ignore the looks he is getting from both Pepper and Rhodey. 

\-----------------------------------------------

In his lab, Tony took a sip off a smoothie that You made for him. He uses a machine to check his palladium level

Blood Toxictity: 20%

Using the suit was making it worsen faster. And the cores were burning out quicker. With no known elements capable of being a core that wouldn't poison him, Tony was running out of options.

Tony Stark was dying. Everything that he had built up, his company, his secret identity, would be worthless, lost to time. He was staring at the wall thinking, when his eyes focused on the painting he had commissioned of Iron Man, flying through the sky. 

No, Tony wouldn’t let it all be for nothing. He would leave a legacy. In that moment, he made a decision. His company, he would leave to the best businessperson he knew, the only one that he could trust with it. Pepper Potts. She would be CEO. She was basically CEO in everything but title now, Tony knew she could handle it. 

That was Tony Stark’s legacy. What about Iron Man’s? Tony knew what he should do. Tony knew who could handle being a superhero. Because Colonel Rhodes was already a hero.

Logically, Tony knew that giving Rhodey a suit would be like handing it right to the military. But after he died, what would he care? So Tony should make another suit, a different one, but just as good. Rhodey deserved the best for having to put up with Tony Stark for so long. 

But would he accept it? Tony knew he could get Pepper to agree to be CEO. It may take a lot of compliments, but she knew Tony, knew that he was a mechanic first, businessman second. She would agree.

Rhodey though? He was a simple man, asking him to become a superhero- especially after asking him to lie to all of his higher-up about who drove the suit, would be a lot to ask. Tony would have to trick him into it. But then, that shouldn’t be too hard for Tony.

Now that Tony had a project that needed doing, and a pretty dead-set deadline, he was motivated enough to start working. So obviously that’s the exact moment he got interrupted. 

“Sir, Colonel Rhodes is here, shall I tell him to meet you in here?” The mechanical voice of J.A.R.V.I.S spoke up. Tony’s thoughts of mechanical wiring were put on hold when the subject of his pondering arrived.

“Nah, tell him I’ll meet him up there.”

“Rhodey! My main man, how are you doing? They treating you right down at the army?” Tony asked.

Rhodey shot him a look. “Not really. And who’s fault was that again?”

Tony exaggerated a wince. “Oh ouch! Are you calling me responsible for the actions of others, cause I’m not sure that’s really fair-“

“No, Tony,” Rhodey cut off Tony with his no-nonsense voice. “I’m saying that you have to be responsible for your own actions.”

Tony allowed himself to drop his playful attitude. Chest heavy, he said said, “Do you really think that I don’t feel the weight of my actions everyday? I made a decision to make Iron Man, to become Iron Man, and yeah, it’s not exactly chocolates and daisies all the time, but I don’t regret it. I’ll carry any cross they give me if it means I can make a difference. I’m sorry if you’re getting any backlash, I really am, but don’t you think that this world could use less weapons and more superheroes?”

Rhodey heaved a sigh. “Tony, it’s not that easy and you know it.”

“Why not?” Tony asked stubbornly. “There are bad people in this world. Why can’t there be heroes? Why can’t I be a hero?”

Rhodey gave a defeated look. “Tony. You know that’s not what I mean. Of course you could be- hell, you are a hero, man.” Rhodey put a hand on Tony’s shoulder. Tony leaned into the touch as Rhodey continued, “You’re a hero to me, that’s for sure. And yeah, you’re a hero to all the people who’s lives you saved when you got rid of those weapons that fell into the wrong hands. But Tony, man,” Rhodey took his hand off of Tony’s shoulder in order to rub his head. It was a tic that Tony had noticed Rhodey develop when trying to deal with Tony. “You can’t do everything. You can’t save everyone. Not by yourself.”

Tony took a step back. He knew that, logically. But he wouldn’t be human if he didn’t feel that inherit need to save the whole world. If only he had the time. Tony felt a weight on his chest. His head was swimming, and his heart was racing.

He wanted nothing more than to break down. To let Rhodey hold him up, tell him everything would be alright. But he couldn’t. Tony Stark had learned a long time ago not to show any weaknesses. He pushed back on his emotions, swallowed hard, and said, “Yeah, yeah I know that. But I’m not alone, right? I mean, I’ve got Pep to help with the business stuff. Stark Industries is done with weapons now, we can focus on something else, something better. Clean energy. I could modify the arc reactor, make it efficient, it’ll change the world.”

Tony was rambling at this point, trying to prove that he was right, that he was alright. He continued, “And I’ve got you. I-“ Tony hesitated at this point, debating bringing up his idea of making Rhodey a suit.

Fortunately, Rhodey took pity on him. “Yeah,” he said, gently. “Yeah Tony, you’ve got me.”

Tony looked up at him, feeling like he was stripped bare. Vulnerable. He shook it off. “So does that mean you’ll stick up for me, tell your people that Iron Man isn’t a weapon?” Tony asked.

Rhodey shook his head like he couldn’t quite believe Tony. Still, he said, “Yeah, I guess it does.”

Tony looked away, and started walking away, “Thanks Rhodey, you’re a blessing. I’ve got some things I’ve got to get to work on now, but thanks for stopping by, I’ll see you.”

Tony could feel Rhodey’s eyes on his back as he walked out the doorway. Rhodey echoed faintly, “See ya.”

Tony turned the corner and leaned back against the wall. With Rhodey out of sight, he checked again.

Blood Toxicity: 21%

He had work to do.

\------------------------------------ 

Tony makes Pepper CEO. It was easier than he thought to convince her, and it's a seamless transition. He also gets a new assistant, someone to help him put his final ducks in a row. The illustrious Natalie Rushman, who turns out to be extremely efficient, and perhaps overqualified. 

He goes to the Grand Prix, where he bumps into Justin Hammer again. In an escape attempt he heads to the bathroom. Not able to resist knowing, he checks his blood again,

Blood Toxicity: 50%

He's half way dead already. He leaves the bathroom, faces the people. He smiles and makes small talk, but the whole time, all he can think about is his options. He has to do something memorable, but what? He has to leave a mark on the world, burn his identity into this world-

He looks up at a TV in the corner, showing the race cars. It hasn't started yet. Perfect. 

Genius, Billionaire, Race Car Driver? It had been a dream of his when he was little (right after being a superhero like Captain America from all the stories his father told him, but hey, he already had that covered). So he goes to the track. Because what's the point in owning a race car if you can't use it?

So he drives, fast and furious. He wishes he could put the windows down, because this is what living feels like. But then, Ivan Vanko comes, in a jumpsuit, with lightning whips for hands.

 _This would be so much easier with the suit,_ Tony thinks to himself, as he dodges the electric arm. Fortunately, he brought with him a suit that fit neatly in a suitcase. It was great for an undercover switch from Tony to Iron Man. Unfortunately, Vanko wasn't exactly giving him ample time to sneak away for a wardrobe change.

Tony debated which was more important, his life or his identity. He was dying anyway, so how much would it really matter to die now? Yeah, he didn't have everything set yet, but Tony knew he could trust Pep and JARVIS to finish it up. JARVIS would even make sure his bots would be taken care off. His bots wouldn't be happy about it, but they'd get over it, You would find some other genius to make bad smoothies for.

And hey, dying in a public fight against Mr. Lightning Arms sounded a lot cooler than privately dying of Palladium poisoning. Suddenly, Tony's energy left him. He saw an arm coming his way, but did nothing to get out of the way. Yeah, it'd be simpler this way-

A repulser ray that Tony recognized as coming from the Iron Man suit missed Tony by inches. "Oh! Sorry!" Came the me mechanical voice of Iron Man, slightly higher pitched than normal. The suit crashed onto the track, stumbling slightly. Both Tony and Vanko turned to look at it with surprise and apprehension. Iron Man hesitates for a moment, then raises a hand and shoots a repulser ray at Vanko, blasting him and his whips away from Tony.

Tony was stranded in his spot sitting next to the race car for a moment, trying to comprehend that he was still alive. Then, the Stark limo came crashing onto the track, hitting Vanko where he was lying on the track after being hit by Iron Man. The car pulled up next to Tony. Happy means out the drivers seat window. "Need a ride, boss?" 

Tony is completely thrown off. Prepared to die, he wasn't sure how to react to having people putting their lives in danger in order to save his. He played it off. "Way to hit a man when he's down, Hap," Tony says, before raising to his feet. Not that he was upset about that. 

"Only if they deserve it," Happy counters.

Speaking of Ivan Vanko, Tony looks back over to where Iron Man was beating him up, punch after punch. When the big guy is finally knocked down, Iron Man reaches out and pulls the Arc Reactor that's embedded in his suit out. The suit immediately powers down. 

Iron Man turned to Tony Stark and raised the prize for confirmation. Tony nodded.

"Pepper asked for some boxing lessons. Looks like it came in handy," Happy explains, proudly.

"Huh," Tony says, as Iron 'Man' starts to walk over to them. Now that the immediate danger is gone, the police come over, and head directly towards Vanko, though more than a few look over towards Tony Stark and Iron Man. 

Seeing this, Tony tells the Iron Man suit, "Hey Pep, you should probably take off, we don't want anyone asking you too many questions."

"Actually," Pepper starts slowly, through the suit's speaker. It managed to mask her feminine voice well. "I've thought about it a bit, and I think it would be make sense for me to stand in as Iron Man for you occasionally. You know, just if Tony Stark and Iron Man are both needed. It also will throw people off the scent of who you really are." Seeing Tony's hesitant face, she added, "I mean, I don't love the idea either, and I wouldn't do it too often, but, Tony, if I could do anything to help you out on this, then I want to do it."

Logically, Tony knew this made sense. It wouldn't make sense to keep claiming that Iron Man was Tony's bodyguard if he was never around Tony. But, on another, deeper, level, Tony didn't want to give up his identity of Iron Man. As Tony Stark, he had plenty of people who hated him. People who thought that he was egotistical, and indulgent. He knew, he read the newspapers. But as Iron Man? He was a superhero. People loved him, children dressed up as him for Halloween. Being Iron Man was like a chance to start over. If he was no longer the only one in the suit, if 'Iron Man' became more a concept, than an individual person, well, he could no longer accept the praise that people payed him.

But Tony wasn't about to vocalize that to Pepper. So he said, "We'll talk about it later. For now, you should get out of here."

Even not being able to see her face, Tony knew that Pepper was most likely pursing her lips, which she did whenever she didn't agree with a decision that Tony made. Tony didn't let her voice her complaint, and instead went over to the police. He knew they'd want his account of the events, and Tony also wanted to have a few words with the man who just tried to kill him.

\----------------------------------

It's Tony Stark's birthday. And most likely his last one.

Now, Tony's birthday parties had always been _legendary_. But, what did Tony really want to do for his last birthday on this earth?

Hell if he knew. So, Tony got _wasted_. Part of it was trying to have a good time. The other part was trying to have a good time despite the fact that he had poison racing through his veins.

Tony sleazed around the room, chatting up girls, impressing the guys, and not caring what anyone thought of him. He spent a good deal of time behind a microphone, talking to the crowd.

Eventually, it wore thin. He may have been so drunk that he couldn't see straight, and everything wobbled in his sight, but Tony Stark was still a genius. He knew that not one person in that room, except maybe the double Pepper's he was seeing, actually cared for him. They appreciated him maybe, his wit, his free booze. But what would it matter to them if Tony Stark died tomorrow.

Tony wasn't sure how he could face the world, pretending to let loose when really he was scared out of his mind.

But then, maybe he wouldn't have to? Maybe, Iron Man could. Now, it may not have been one of his smarter ideas, but hey, he was inebriated. So Tony Stark snuck downstairs, donned his suit while drunk, and Iron Man came up. When the crowd saw him, they cheered. He didn't even have to say anything. He raised his hand to the crowd, and whoops. He shot a repulser up at the ceiling. Except, no one got hurt, and they were all cheering even louder. No one had noticed that Tony had left, all they cared was that Iron Man was there, to get the real party started.

But then, Rhodey came out of nowhere, wearing one of Tony's suits as if it were a military uniform. He called Tony irresponsible, told him to stop. Tony, who had a bit of pent-up aggression fixed in his best friend's direction, took this as opportunity to really vent his frustrations.

They tore the room apart. Tony didn't notice exactly when the crowd left, but he was glad he didn't have to be as careful anymore, and could instead let it all out. He goads Rhodey. It's funny, when you're dying, how little life seems to be worth.

Eventually though, Rhodey leaves. With a suit. Well, that made Tony's plans of sneaking him one easier. Now it just needed a good paint job, and a new name. Wouldn't want people confusing it for Iron Man. Tony would wait a few days for Rhodey to cool down before suggesting anything though.

\--------------------------------------

Tony was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling and imaging what he wanted more than anything in that moment. 

Donuts.

Tony Stark's favorite hangover place had always been black coffee and donuts from Randy's Donuts. Maybe it was the mixture of bitterness from the coffee and sweetness of the donuts. Maybe it was the large promotional donut that was situated above the shop. Whatever it was, Tony had been going for years, whenever he had particularly bad headaches. 

The only problem was the overtly perky staff, who always forced Tony to make small talk, despite that being the last thing he wanted to do when his head was trying to kill itself. 

Which is what led to Iron Man ordering a large black coffee and half a dozen donuts in all his red and gold mechanical glory.

Tony's theory behind this experiment was that the employees would be too shocked by the superhero they wouldn't try to talk to him beyond asking for his order.

He realized that it wasn't exactly well thought out. The young adult behind the counter, who Tony had spoken to often enough to know was named Lucy, was unfazed as she asked, "So is this for your boss? Does he want his regular?"

Tony's brain took a few seconds too long to comprehend the question. "Huh? Oh right, yeah, this is for uh, Mr. Stark." Tony winced at the name. He hated when people called him that. It was what people called his dad, and he didn't want that association any more than he had to. Luckily, the suit was able to mask the face he made. It was also a little odd that people thought he was his own boss.

"Okay cool," she says, punching it all into the computer. "So, what's it like working for Tony Stark? He seems pretty chill when he comes here, but it must be kinda weird working for him."

"Uh." Tony says, trying to process all of the words in his muddled head. Was he supposed to know what 'chill' meant. "Yeah, I guess he's pretty cool. Lots of benefits too. Healthcare, the works." He was saved from having to continue the conversation when his food was ready. He gave her the money for it, putting the change (and slipping in an extra $20) into a tip jar entitled 'College Fund.' College is expensive.

He took the coffee and donut box, and started to walk away. Out of habit, he said, "Thanks Lucy, you're a doll."

"How did you... know my name?"

Tony froze. Did he really just give away his secret identity. And to the college-aged donut shop worker too? He turned around slowly to face the music.

But then she started laughing. "Oh yeah, my name tag. Ha, I forgot about that. That's pretty funny. Also, did you know that's what Tony calls me? Doll? Ha, I guess you spend a lot of time with him. Have a nice day Iron Man!"

"Ha, yep. You have a nice day too. And stay chill," Tony replied. He started walking out again. 

And again, was stopped short. This time though, it was because of SHIELD.

"Hey there Iron Man. Got a sec?" Nick Fury asks, in a way that's more a demand than an actual question

Tony tries to get out of it anyway. Due to the sensitive nature of the conversation, Tony was able to convince Fury to continue the conversation at his mansion. 

And boy is that conversation a doozy. "So you had a SHIELD agent impersonate my assistant. Why exactly?"

"Needed an objective opinion about your qualifications. Don't worry, Agent Romanoff was not briefed on your identity as Iron Man."

Also, apparently SHIELD knows that he's being slowly poisoned. Fury gives him lithium dioxide. It helps, but it's only temporary. But more than that, Fury gives him hope. There's more to the Arc reactor than Tony knew. He had tried every possible option to switch out the Palladium, but there was nothing. Except, now Fury was saying that his father held the answer. (How long would Tong live in the shadow of Howard?)

His father also happened to be one of the founders of SHIELD? How had Tony not known about any of that. But then, he never knew much about his father anyway. Was it really that much of a surprise?

"My greatest creation is you," Howard had said, in a video Tony found in a box of his father's stuff that SHIELD brought to Tony's mansion. He hadn't tever said anything like that to Tony's face of course. He said it instead behind his back, in a video. Who knows when Howard had planned to show it to him. If he had planned on it at all.

Well whatever. It doesn't matter now. Not anymore. What matters is that Tony figures out what Howard was trying to tell him.

But hey, he had enough shocking revelations for one afternoon. He had a Miss. Potts to apologize too.

That turns into a bit of a disaster. Who knew that the reason Tony associated Pepper with Strawberries was because she was allergic? And who turned up but his 'assistant'.

"Hey there Na...Nat, hm, it definetely starts with that, what was it again?"

Natasha Romanoff's eyes burned into Tony's skull as she answered. "Natalia."

Tony snapped his fingers. "Ah, right! 'Natalia Rushman'. What is that, Russian?"

Pepper had rushed out of her new office, forcing him to leave as well. That was a bust. 

Except maybe not. The fresh air had given Tony a new perspective. The 3-D map that Howard was standing next in his video, maybe it was more than a map.

Working with JARVIS, Tony was able to filter out all the additions, and what he found was the atomic composition for a new element. One that would solve all his problems.

As his chest seized up with pain, Tony wondered if he would live long enough to save his own life. Well, he's gotta start sometime.

\------------------

Tony is in the middle of building a particle accelerator in order to synthesize the element his father had discovered when JARVIS announced that Agent Coulson was coming down to the lab.

Tony ignored it. Agent Coulson walked into the room, and saw a lot of destruction, as well as construction.

"So. What have you been up to?"

"Get with the program, agent. I'm making a new element." Tony said, slightly distracted from his work. Particle Accelerators were precise machines, so a homemade one was a bit tricky. Not impossible though. Nothing's impossible for Tony Stark.

Except maybe balancing this part. It falls too low, it would disrupt the flow of electrons within the machine. Maybe he could use a thick book to make it even...

Coulson, observing the mess, sees something that seems to sparkle in the sun. Brightly colored in red, white and blue. In disbelief, Coulson reached into the box of Howard's stuff that was left for Tony. "What is this doing here?" Coulson asks incredulously, holding up Captain America's shield.

Tony barely glances up from what he's doing. He needs something, just a few inches tall...

Perfect. Tony reaches out for the shield that Coulson is holding up. He inspects it. "This will work," he mumbles to himself, mostly to stall. 

Captain America's shield. Tony remembered when he was younger, he had posters all over his room of the super hero. At that age, he would have loved to have Captain America's actually shield. He hero-worshipped the guy, it would have been amazing.

But then, he had grown up. He realized that his father was obsessed. That his father spent more time looking for someone long dead than he did with his own son. 

Tony had ripped down all his posters. He bad-mouthed Captain America in front of his father. Howard had been furious with him. Now, Tony hated his childhood hero.

Tony put Captain America's shield under part of his homemade particle accelerator, to keep it stable. _Take that, dad,_ he thinks viciously.

It works. Tony makes a new element, and, with shaky hands, exchanges it with his Palladium core. 

Tony Stark is alive.

Alive just in time to find out that Vanko is planning an attack at the Stark Expo. Great.

Tony suits up and heads out. He calls Rhodey from inside the suits. Explains that Hammer is presenting a number of military droids, which Vanko has programmed to attack. Tony arrives at the Expo just in time to see Rhodey lose control of his suit. Suddenly, Tony's got a bunch of droids and his own best friend chasing after him, all of them carrying large guns. 

It's takes a bit of fighting, but Tony is able to take out most of the drones. Unwilling to hit Rhodey though, the man eventually catches up.

With a gun held to his face by his best friend's wayward suit, Tony suddenly felt the terror of imminent death for the second time that day.

Luckily the suit powered down. The comm in his ear came to life. Agent Romanoff reported, "Iron Man, I rebooted his suit. He's no longer a threat." Bless her.

And because he's a jerk who doesn't like being betrayed, he replies "Ah, thanks agent. Looks like you're good for something after all."

But the problem isn't all gone. Vanko and some of his droids are still left. Now that Tony has Rhodey on his side though, it's pretty simple to get rid of them. With teamwork and some blasting, they are finally able to neutralize the threat. 

Tony is able to stop and take as breathe for the first time in a while.

\------------------

He doesn't even think about taking Stark Industries back from Pepper. She deserves it, and she's more than capable. Tony knows that he wouldn't be half the person that he is now if it weren't for her.

Tony knows that he can't live without her, he needs her in his life. So he kisses her. And she kisses him back. It's good. Better than good, it's _right_

And maybe he's just scared that if he doesn't do anything that she'll run his company and leave him behind, but Tony knows that deep within his stone cold heart he does love Pepper Potts, unquestionably. She has to spend a lot of time at the company, due to the change in CEO, but Tony badgers her into spending a good deal of time with him. 

Tony is also able to spend some time with Rhodey before he has to fly back to his military base. Tony wasn't exactly sure where they stood. He thought that Rhodey would be able to put up with anything from him, but... Tony had always been better with machines than people.

Just to be sure, Tony asked at one point, "Hey so, are we cool?"

Rhodey looked over at him with exasperated fondness. "Yeah man, we're cool."

"Great. So for your name, I was thinking War Machine. Personally, I think it's pretty fitting."

Colonel Rhodes rolled his eyes. "Yeah alright. You got any more bright ideas?"

"A billion," Tony replies, and he's mostly joking. "Hey here's one. Remember back in college we'd have those movie nights? What do you say we reimplement those?" Tony knew it was a stretch, he really did, but he was desperate, he didn't want to be left alone, and Pepper was busy with work so often. He tried to sound casual as he continued, "Cause I've got the biggest screen in the world, and more popcorn than any two people could possibly consume back at my place if you wanna-"

Rhodey looked tired as he cut Tony off to say, "Tony I _can't_. I've got to head back to the base later today, and-"

"No, I mean it's not a big deal-"

"I've probably used up most of my vacation days already for all this crazy stuff and-"

"It's an open offer really, i didn't mean _now_ just whenever-"

"I should probably head out now actually."

"Now?" Tony asks lamely, trying to hide his disappointment. "Right yeah, of course. Well uh, Dum-E will be sorry he missed you."

Rhodey laughs. "Yeah I'm sorry too. You tell the little guy I'll be back soon, alright? Don't let him miss me too much."

"Yeah, of course. See ya, War Machine."

Tony went home, alone, after that. A mansion feels way to large when you're the only person who lives there. 

Tony called out to JARVIS to end the silence. "Hey J, how's your day been, baby."

Instead of answering, JARVIS announces in a dry tone, "Sir, it appears we have a security breach."

As JARVIS seems calm, Tony allows himself a second to grab a glass of whiskey before searching for the intruder.

Instead, the intruder finds him. "Hey there, Mr. Stark. I've got something to show you." Nick Fury greets.

"Tell me Nicky, do you make it a habit of breaking into people's houses, or am I just special?" Tony replies.

Fury ignores Tony's words. Instead, he shows him two folders, offering them both to Tony. 

Tony looked at the folder labeled 'Iron Man' first. It had some facts about the powers that the suit had. It was lacking a lot of information though.

The name box was left blank. Huh. Apparently SHIELD didn't even trust it's own members. It made sense, Tony supposed. They were trained spies. Another box entitled 'Personality Outline' was mostly left blank, with a few comments about his odd humor. Rude.

Tony looked further down. He read aloud. "Recruitment assessment for Avengers Initiative. Iron Man, yes.' Well that's a nice offer, I'm gonna have to think about it though."

With a blank face, Fury urged, "Look at the other file. Romanoff's assement of you."

Curious, Tony looked over the other folder, labeled 'Tony Stark'. In this one, the Personality Outline was completely filled. Tony read some of the highlights out loud. "'Compulsive behavior'. 'Self-destructive Tendencies'. Now, to be fair, this was from last week, I was literally dying." Fury looked unimpressed. "Whatever. Next is 'Textbook Narcissism'. Okay yeah, I've probably earned that one."

"Keep reading," Fury instructs.

Tony got a bad feeling about this, but goes on anyway. He finds, "Tony Stark, Not recommended for SHIELD work.' What does that mean? That makes no sense. You're saying Iron Man can work for you, but Tony Stark can't. In case you've forgotten, I am Iron Man!" Tony waved his arms across his body to emphasize his point.

"What it means is that Iron Man qualifies for the Avengers Initiative. If he is needed, you come. While you are on any SHIELD mission, you are not allowed to take off your suit. Tony Stark on the other hand, will only be brought on as a consultant."

Tony knows that he wouldn't be getting much out of the offer. "You couldn't afford me," he says coldly. Thinking about it though, Tony knew what he really wanted to say. So he sighs and continues,"But, I did just give away my job. It's not like I've got much else going on. Sure, I'll join your boy band, without telling anyone I'm in your boy band."

For the first time in that visit, Fury smiled. He put out a hand. "Congratulations, you are now both a member and a consultant to SHIELD."

Tony shook Fury's hand. "Let's do this thing."

As soon as Fury left his mansion, Tony sat down with his whiskey, and took a long sip. "Hey JARVIS, what would you think about a skyscraper in New York City?"

"It sounds like it has your name on it, sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! It's a monster of a chapter, I know. I just wanted to get through it to be honest. Next chapter will be the start of the Avengers. The majority of this story will probably be set in the time after the first avengers. 
> 
> Oh, and I realized that I could have let Natasha be includes in the Tony Stark is Iron Man knowledge, but ultimately I decided that Fury would want as little people as possible to know. The count now is Fury, Coulson, Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and of course JARVIS. 
> 
> Let me know if there are grammer/spelling mistakes. Thanks for reading!


	3. Let's Try Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the (very) beginning of the Avengers. Coulson shows up a lot, I can't help it. Tony finds a solution to his problem, Tony is a problem to Coulson, and Iron Man meets Captain America.

Chapter 2

 _Now I'm naked, nothing but an animal_  
_But can you fake it, for just one more show?_  
_And what do you want?_  
_I want to change_  
_And what have you got, when you feel the same?_  
-Bullet with Butterfly Wings by The Smashing Pumpkins  
Chapter 2

Tony Stark was hard-pressed to admit he needed help. Instead, he preferred to do everything on his own, or suffer the consequences. Though letting Pepper appear as Iron Man would be beneficial to him, he came up with an alternate solution. 

It took a while. Tony spent many hours down in his lab, working on minimal sleep and food. Dum-E brought him water and coffee though, to keep him going. After picking up a mug from the tray Dum-E was carrying, Tony petted him absent-mindedly. Dum-E beeped contently in response. Taking a sip of the black coffee, Tony looked at his creation. "By JARVIS I think I've got it," Tony announced to the room. 

"Happy to be of service, sir," JARVIS replied dryly. Except his voice was coming from an updated Iron Man suit, standing across from Tony. "Though I have to admit, it is a bit odd being able to walk."

Tony grinned. "I can't wait to show this to Pep."

"Miss Potts is currently upstairs, looking for you."

"Wait, really? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I did. You were preoccupied,"

"Oh. Well, tell her I'm heading up now. You wait for my signal, okay?"

"I won't move a muscle, sir."

\----------------------------------

Tony was laughing when he walked into the main living room, where Pepper was waiting for him. She looked at him, amused. "What's so funny, Tony?"

Tony smiled at her, then walked up and kissed her, loving that he was able to do that. "Ah Pep, it's great. I can't wait for you to see it."

Pepper's eyebrows scrunched together with worry now. "See what?" she asked cautiously. She eyed his appearance. His stint in his lab had left him looking less than professional. He was wearing sweats and a white tank top, for comfort, though it was more black at this point, covered in mechanical stains. His arms and face weren't much better, and he had large bags under his eyes. His hair was an unwashed, uncombed mess.

Tony grinned manically, which probably didn't help. "Okay, so you know how calling Iron Man my bodyguard would makes no sense if he was never actually with me? And how you suggested stepping into the suit for me?"

Pepper, not seeing the relevance, simply responded, "Yes, I do."

"Well, I've got a better solution, and it's one that won't put you in danger. Of losing your life or your time, really."

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Good to know. What is this awe-inspiring solution?"

"JARVIS, send him in." Tony kept his gaze on Pepper, wanting to see her reaction when the empty suit came in.

To be honest, it was a little disapoointing. Pepper frowned, confused. "So, what's the big surprise? Who's in the suit? Is it Happy? It can't be Rhodey, because he's in another country right now, and they're the only other people who know about-" Her eyes widened in horror as she came up with a new idea, "Tony, tell me you didn't make Agent Coulson wear the suit."

"What-" Tony started, feeling offended. "Have you no faith? Of course it's not- Oh, this is ridiculous. JARVIS, lift the faceplate.

"Gladly, Sir," the suit responded, opening up to reveal the empty interior. 

Pepper's confusion fled her face. She said evenly, in understanding, "Oh, JARVIS is driving the suit."

"Yes," Tony said, defeated. "JARVIS is driving the suit."

Pepper looked at him in amusement. "Well, why didn't you just say so?" She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "That's actually a pretty good idea, Tony. Has anyone ever told you you're a genius?"

Tony smirked slightly in response, as he leaned in to her touch. Her warm lips left a cold outline on his cheek once they left. "Once or twice," he said.

\-----------------------

Tony had always planned on leaving a legacy. He wanted to leave an impression on the world that would outlast his own life. And making the world a better place, with better energy rather than more weapons, was the first step to that.Tony had been looking forward to this moment for years. Since Afghanistan, to be honest. To be know for something _good_ was all he really wanted.

Stark Tower is officially a beacon of Self-Sustaining Clean Energy. 

Pepper shook her head in fond reminiscence. "I cannot believe that you successfully turned a weapons company into a clean energy company." She pauses, to look up at Tony. "Actually, I take that back. Yeah, I can believe that you would do that." They were in the penthouse of the new Stark Tower, celebrating that the Tower was running on it's own, self-sustaining energy.

Tony smiled, content. He raised a glass of champagne to Pepper in a toast. "Hey, this is your baby too. Give yourself some credit. Like... twelve percent of the credit."

Pepper scoffed in indignation. Before she could say anything though, JARVIS interrupted. "Sir, it appears there's been a security breach. Agent Coulson is on his way up."

Tony groaned. "Ugh, do whatever you can to stop him J. I've got a date."

"You know what JARVIS, let him up." Pepper instructed. She drained her glass of champagne. She gave Tony a dirty look "Twelve percent. Of my baby?"

"Oh, c'mon Pep, I did do most of the heavy lifting," Tony said, his eyes drifted towards wear the metal Iron Man suit was standing nearby, at attention. 

"Oh, you did? Or JARVIS did while wearing your suit?"

Before Tony could respond, the private elevator doors open, revealing Agent Coulson. "Sorry to interrupt," he says, not sounding sorry in the least. He walks into the room, and holds files out for Tony. "But this is urgent."

Tony, still holding his champagne glass, hesitates in picking up the files. Having been betrayed by people close to him so often, Tony had some trust issues. So, he didn't like to hold things when he wasn't sure what exactly they were and he didn't fully trust the person handing them to him.

Pepper, always able to translate Tony's odd moods, swooped in. "It's fine Phil, we understand. It's just that Tony doesn't like being handed things," she explains conspiratorially, as she picks up the file, handing her empty glass to Coulson, who accepts it without question. She then takes Tony's unfinished glass of champagne from him, and hands him the files. She recollects her glass from Coulson, and puts both glasses down on the counter. 

Tony's not sure how she does it, but suddenly he's holding the files that Coulson (Phil) brought in with him. Important things first, Tony asks, "Phil? Who's Phil? His first name is Agent." And yeah, hearing it out loud it sounds a little petty and jeolous, but Tony actually doesn't remember having ever heard Agent Coulson's first name. How often did Pepper talk to the guy exactly? What would they have to talk about?

Coulson and Pepper ignore him of course. Pepper asks, intrigued. "Is this about the Avengers?" When Phil just shoots her a polite smile in response, she continues, "Oh! Which I know nothing about, of course."

Coulson seemed to view it as a lost cause. He spoke to Tony, "We need your help." He winced, then amended. "Iron Man's help."

Tony, curiosity piqued, lets JARVIS scan the documents to download them into his own database. He hated reading from papers. Tony waved his hands, and the files appeared in blue holographs. It appeared to be multiple profiles. JARVIS completed them with video footage. Tony stared in wonder.

Pepper, seeing his distraction, ushered Coulson out. She spoke to Tony, "Looks like you have a lot of homework to do. I'll see you later, Tony. Have fun." She then turned to Coulson, "So tell me more about the cellist, Phil. She's from Portland, right?"

Tony, waved her off, barely registered the words. (Except to comprehend that Agent already had a girl, so he wasn't actually making a move on Pepper. Good.

The first image he saw was a large, green monster. Bruce Banner, better known as the hulk. Tony was aware, and slightly in awe of his endeavors into the biological science. At least Tony knew he would have one person who he could actually talk sense to-

Tony's entire thought process was brought short. His eyes caught the next video, of a muscled man wearing a red, white and blue suit. It couldn't be. Tony looked down towards the information about the man. Steve Rogers. Captain America. Not only had they found him in the ice, he was still _alive._

The thoughts raced in Tony's mind as he watched the holographic version of Captain America fight. His dad would be so jealous. Howard had spent years searching in the ice, just trying to find a body to bury. He hadn't even hoped that the serum would have keep the Captain's body alive for so long. Now here Tony was, and he was going to work with the man.

Tony wasn't entirely sure what his emotions were on that yet, so instead he focused on the next video. A guy wearing a lot of green, and reindeer antlers. Huh. With him was glowing blue box. The information underneath labeled it the tesseract. It was pure power. Tony looked at it an awe. It made sense why SHIELD was so desperate to get it back. In the wrong hands, it could be disastrous. 

After asking the JARVIS in the suit to make him a cup of coffee (Tony was going to milk a robot JARVIS for all it was worth), Tony settled in to read through all the hard details from the files. If he was going to be a part of something, he wasn't going in blind. It was going to be a long night.

\--------------------------------------

_Memphis Germany_

Tony was already in Germany when he received the SHIELD alert. He had taken his Stark Jet over, as it was where Coulson had told him to meet up with the rest of the team. Except, apparently there was a change of plan.

Loki of Asgard (Or reindeer games as Tony preferred) had interrupted a gala at the Stuttgart Museum, assaulting the people present.

Tony immediately suits up and heads over. As he's flying over to the museum, he hacks into the comm system, so he can hear all the latest information. He hears that Loki is outside now, making a bunch of people kneel in front of him (Who's the narcissist now?). Agent Romanoff and Captain America (Steve Rogers!) were there, trying to calm down the Asgardian, and control the situation.

Tony Stark, never one to miss a grand entrance opportunity, asks JARVIS to blast ACDC's "Shoot to Thrill" in the comm system, just a little something to let them know he's coming. JARVIS hesitates though. "Are you certain that would be a good idea, sir?" Tony is thrown off, not used to being questioned. JARVIS continues, "They are expecting Iron Man, not Tony Stark."

Tony frowned. (But I am Iron Man, he wanted to say) "So you think I should try to what, act less like me, more like, what, a Rhodey? Cause I could try the Rhodey impersonations, I've actually gotten pretty good at them-"

"I am simply saying thay in order to preserve your identity, it wouldn't be a bad idea to be cautious with how you act."

Tony sighed. "Yeah whatever. No blasting ACDC over the comms, I get it. I'm still gonna be a smart aleck though."

 Tony patched into the comms. "Hey Romanoff, what have you been up to lately? Impersonate any more business assistants?" He asks, rhetorically. He blasts a repulser at 'Loki' and lands smoothly on the ground next to Captain America. Figuring his best tactic at this point is intimidation, Tony pulls out every single weapon that the suit has, and points them all at the fallen Asgardian.

Luckily, Loki stands down. Tony's glad it worked. He probably would have looked like an idiot if it didn't, and that would be a bad first impression to make on the Captain. Somehow, Tony is able to find the strength not to look over go see if Steve Rogers is impressed by him, or by his tech.

So, they load up Loki on the quinjet, in order to bring him over to where the helicarrier is stationed. And Loki goes along with it. For someone who was just minutes ago attacking people left and right, he was acting very complacent.

On the ride, Tony debated his options. (Iron Man yes, Tony Stark no. What did that mean? Who was Iron Man if not Tony Stark?) 

He could act like himself, and not care what anyone thinks, or he could act like Tony Stark, and they might figure out that he's Iron Man. 

Or, he could protect himself and his identity by pretending to be something he's not. 

On a regular day, Tony knew which one he's choose.

Except... Who wouldn't like to be someone else for a day? In her report, Romanoff had called him impulsive, narcissistic, someone who didn't play well with others. That's why Tony Stark wasn't allowed in the Avengers. 

So Tony could make sure that Iron Man was none of that. He'd show SHIELD. He'd be the perfect teammate. He'd be the perfect gentleman. He'd be like Rhodey. No, he'd be like Jarvis.

Tony turned to Captain America and was about to offer him a cup of coffee, when the other man started speaking. "I don't like this," he said.

Tony was struck for a second, (Did Steve Rogers not like coffee?) before realizing that Steve was looking over at Loki, who was just sitting on the quintet complacently. He did appear to be rather worried about the storm clouds that were forming quickly.

"Oh," Tony said, having all but forgotten about the prisoner. "Yeah, it's mighty suspicious, huh? He seemed pretty powerful before, why isn't he fighting back now?" Tony thought he might have later it on a bit thick, trying to be agreeable.

Captain America, however, looked over at him appreciatively. "You think so too?" And oh man, Captain America was glad for Iron Man's reassurances. He could totally be Captain America's yes-man, that would be great. The Captain continued, "Hey, I don't think Fury mentioned that he was bringing you in on this."

Of course he didn't. Probably wasn't sure whether or not Tony would actually do it. "Yeah there's a lot that Fury doesn't tell you," Tony said before he could stop himself. Luckily, the suit' s voice filtered out most of the snideness from his remark. At the captain's confused look, Iron Man rushed to continue. "I mean, the whole, super-secret-agent thing. He's not exactly a vault of information if you know what I mean.

Captain America laughed. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Say, I don't think we've been properly introduced yet. I'm uh, Captain America, but please, call me Steve," he said, holding out his hand.

"You can call me Iron Man," Tony responded evenly, shaking Captain America's hand. Inside he was celebrating. Who knew getting on Captain America's good side would be as easy as being nice? (Though, to be fair, that was exactly easy for Tony).

At that moment, the jet starts shaking. Natasha, from the cockpit where she's flying the plane, calls out, "Sorry guys, this storm came out of nowhere."

Loki looks nervous, eyeing the storm warily. Tony noticed this, and asked, "What's wrong buddy? Scared of thunder?"

Loki gave him a wry smile. He drawled "I'm not overly fond of what follows."

Tony had no time to process that, because the suddenly the hurt was spinning out of control. It had been hit by lightning.

A man with flowing, golden locks jumps on board. Tony watches, dumbstruck, as the man grabs their prisoner, and flies back off the plane. "Well, that just happened."

Natasha, from the front of the plane, speaks up, "Think its another Asgardian?"

Steve says hopefully, "Maybe this one's friendly."

"Does it matter?" Iron Man asks. "He took our prisoner. We need Loki to find the tesseract. I'm- we have to go after him."

Steve sighed. "You're right. But we need a plan of attack first."

Natasha said, "Maybe you should sit this one out Captain. These guys are people of legends. They're practically gods."

"There's only one God ma'am" Steve reproached politely. "And I don't think He wears a cape."

Tony, wanting to get a move on, suggested, "I could give you a lift. We'll focus on Blondie first, tag-team him."

Steve, glancing over at him, instructed, "We'll try to talk to him first. If that doesn't work, we'll, 'tag-team' him," Then he scrunched his brow. "A lift? Can you carry me while flying the suit?"

"Won't be a problem," Tony assured him, and reached out to wrap a hand around Steve's waist. "Just stand on my feet for leverage."

\------------------------------------

The battle was intense. Steve tried reasoning with him at first, but the Asgardian wasn't too keen on setting down his hammer just yet. 

They were relatively evenly matched, and the fight would have lasted a lot longer. Except that at one point, they reached a stalemate. Thor Odinson swung the mighty Mjolner down on Captain America's shield. The vibramium held strong, and the resulting shockwave spread throughout the forest. 

The three men (ish) were in shock. They all took a break, breathing heavily.

"So," Tony says. "We good?"

Apparently, they were.

SHIELD Agents came, and loaded Loki up onto the Helicarrier. 

Agent Coulson finds Tony boarding the Helicarrier in his Iron Man suit, with Captain America. Coulson him beckons him away.

As soon as they're out of earshot, Coulson explained, "Now that Loki is in custody, we're going to need the consultant more than the suit."

Tony said, "Don't you think it'll be a little odd if Iron Man doesn't show up, since he's actually part of the team?"

Coulson shruged. "Maybe. But we'll just say he got injured in the fight, and is receiving medical care."

Tony waved him off, "Nah, I've got a better idea."

Coulson just sighed in response, thinking it better not to ask. After they had walked a decent amount away, he said, "I told security to turn off the cameras in this section. We don't use it much anyway. You can take the suit off in that room." Coulson points to an open door that lead into an empty meeting room.

Tony goes in, closing the door behind him. He opens up the suit so he can step out of it. He winces as he moves, feeling pain. He gingerly lifts up his jacket and shirt to look at the skin. It's a large and nasty bruise, covering most of the right side of his rib cage. Thor had gotten him good.

 Tony touches it gently, wincing at the pain. Luckily, nothing's broken. It should be easy to hide. 

Tony puts his shirt and jacket back in place, smoothing it over. He takes a comb out of his pocket, fixing any hair that had fallen out of place. He took his sunglasses out of another pocket and put them on as he walked out of the room to rejoin Coulson.

Coulson gives him a wary look. "So? What was your brilliant idea?"

Tony quirks an eyebrow. Instead of replying, he pulls out his phone, and says into the speaker, "Hey JARVIS, employ Mark XII. Bring her out to me."

Tony and Coulson can hear mechanical whir as the suit comes to life. Tony takes pride in the slightly shocked and worried look that Coulson has on his face when the suit walks out to the hallway on its own. 

"JARVIS?" Coulson asks Tony, gesturing at Iron Man.

"JARVIS," Tony confirms, smug. "He's not much of a fighter," yet, at least, but Tony wasn't about to tell that to SHIELD, or they'd replace him in a heartbeat. Maybe. Would an AI be more or less trustworthy than Tony Stark? "But, he is good at throwing off suspicion"

"That's," Coulson starts slowly, "Actually a really good idea. Are you sure there won't be any ... malfunctions?"

Tony snorted. "Do you mean 'stuttering' malfunction, or 'attack of the robots' malfunctioning?" When Coulson just gave him a flat look, Tony continued, "Either way, he's fine. No glitches, and I promise he's completely under my control. Say hi, J."

The Iron Man Suit turns to the Agent. "Hello Agent Coulson."

Coulson thought for a second. "Can he mimic you though? We don't want any suspicion."

JARVIS made a static noise that was like the clearing of a voice. "Hey, I'm Tony Stark, and I don't like being handed things."

Coulson twitched his lips. "He's perfect. You're on, JARVIS. Let's head out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for now. I'm back at college, very busy and very tired, so I'm sorry if I can't update often. I think I'm going to make the chapters smaller though, so that I can make them more often.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if you have questions/concerns/ideas.
> 
>  
> 
> Next: Tony Stark meets the Avengers


End file.
